Chapter 2336: Unexpected

Regarding Ye Chen's words, Di Huang remained silent, merely taking a deep breath. He really wanted to discuss ideals with Ye Chen, but the Lingxiao Baodian, the first hall of the Heavenly Court, was something he couldn't move.

Indeed, he couldn't budge it—not because he was too weak, but because the Lingxiao Baodian was incredibly heavy, weighed down by its immense aura. Even if the Ming Emperor came to help, they still couldn't shift it.

Ye Chen cleared his throat, feeling quite regretful. He had walked far away but couldn't help glancing back. That Lingxiao Baodian! Every brick and tile inside was a treasure, left to languish in this black hole—such a waste. If he could take it back and dismantle it, how many valuable items he could salvage.

What comforted him was that the Lingxiao iron staff and the white jade dragon chair were sensible enough to follow him. If they had stayed in the Lingxiao Baodian, that would have been truly absurd.

Like him, Zi Xuan couldn't help but feel regretful.

Unfortunately, the Lingxiao Baodian was no ordinary hall. With Di Huang's power, it was far beyond his ability to shake, and even if he could, he couldn't remove it from the black hole. It was like an ant trying to carry a mountain.

The three of them hadn't yet left the black hole and were wandering aimlessly.

Ye Chen was fine, keeping his head down the whole way, diligently counting his treasures, all of which he had taken from the Lingxiao Baodian. Though they were just bricks and tiles, their power was fiercely formidable. The former Zhun Di of the Drought Border Clan was a bloody example—a single brick swung could stun someone, and it handled quite smoothly.

Zi Xuan was also okay, silently following along.

As for Di Huang, his state of mind was quite unsettled. It turned out that in some era of history, the heavens had beings that surpassed great emperors. Even if only an empty hall remained, it was something he couldn't defy. Compared to the commander of the Ancient Heavenly Court, he might not even qualify as an ant.

"Come, I'll give you one. Use it to smash people; it's even better than a divine artifact."

Zi Xuan didn't stand on ceremony, taking the brick and examining it up and down. This brick was made of immortal stone, nothing particularly extraordinary, but what made it terrifying was the aura of the Dao it carried. Used for attacks, it was absolutely domineering.

For some reason, holding the brick, Zi Xuan suddenly felt an impulse—to smash it over the head of the young master beside her and listen to whether his scream was as impressive as the brick's power.

From then on, their path was full of opportunities.

These opportunities mostly belonged to Ye Chen, though Di Huang didn't miss out either.

Ye Chen couldn't help but sigh, and Zi Xuan felt the same.

This desolate black hole truly held both perils and fortunes. Who would have thought that this dark, gloomy place would be scattered with so many treasures, all of them great ones—like the Shenming Flower or the Spirit Immortal Tree—these were extinct in the outside world and could be called priceless treasures.

After an unknown amount of time, Di Huang finally waved his hand, leading the two out of the black hole.

When the three reappeared, they were in the domain, and Ye Chen recognized it as the Lei Domain.

Upon entering the Lei Domain again, they were greeted by the wild and violent aura of the Honghuang, overwhelmingly savage. The ones exiled here were the Kuiba Clan, which was better off compared to the barren domains.

Boom! Rumble!

As they landed, the Lei Domain was already roaring with thunder. The void was filled with rolling dark clouds, flashing lightning, and various destructive visions. There was also a pressure that made one's heart tremble.

"Emperor's Path Divine Tribulation."

Ye Chen's expression changed drastically upon seeing it.

Zi Xuan remained relatively calm. As the remnant soul of a female emperor, she had memories of emperors crossing tribulations, which were far more intense than this. The two were not even in the same league.

Di Huang's eyes were as still as an ancient well, showing no surprise at all. It seemed he had known about the Emperor's Path Divine Tribulation in the Lei Domain, which was why he appeared here—to let Ye Chen witness it.

Beside him, Ye Chen had already tilted his head up, gazing at the gathering lightning, his face turning pale. The pressure of the Emperor's Path was too strong, and its divine tribulation too terrifying; even his sacred body couldn't help but tremble. Compared to his own Zhun Di heavenly tribulation, this Emperor's Path Divine Tribulation was unimaginably more powerful.

Looking at the one who had triggered the tribulation, it was a young man from the Kuiba Clan, though in reality, he was an old-timer, an ashes-level existence and a genuine peak Zhun Di of the supreme level.

The Zhun Di of the Honghuang clans were truly talented. A few months ago, it was the Taotie Clan, and now it was the Kuiba Clan. It seemed they were really trying to defy the heavens and achieve emperorship to turn the tide. Only by becoming an emperor could they have the capital to stand against the Great Accomplishment Holy Body, and that was exactly what the Kuiba Clan was thinking.

Glancing at the people of the Kuiba Clan, the hope in their eyes had ignited into flames. They believed their ancestor could pass through and that their clan could produce another emperor, creating a divine myth against the heavens.

Boom! Rumble!

Under the watchful eyes of all, the tribulation descended. Billions of thunderbolts manifested, like countless galaxies pouring down, filled with destructive force, as if to erase all living beings in the world.

Fight!

The Kuiba Clan Zhun Di roared, surging with Honghuang aura as he charged heavenward against the odds.

And then, that was it. A peak Zhun Di was obliterated in a single instant, body destroyed and soul scattered, leaving only a shocking roar behind.

"This..." Ye Chen twitched at the corner of his mouth. It happened so fast, it was caught off guard. The previous Taotie Zhun Di had at least held out for nearly the time it takes to burn an incense stick, but this one was instantly wiped out!

The tribulator's divine form vanished, and the billions of thunderbolts dissipated in an instant. The Emperor's Path Divine Tribulation began and ended almost simultaneously—arriving to strike and leaving just as quickly, straightforward to the extreme.

"Impossible, this is impossible." The ones who found it hardest to accept were the Kuiba Clan. The hope they carried for their clan had been extinguished before it could even ignite, and one could imagine their state of mind. Even the dazzling starlight in the sky was shrouded in despair, dim and lifeless.

Di Huang withdrew his gaze and turned around, entering the black hole again.

From beginning to end, his expression showed no fluctuation. He had never considered interfering with the one crossing the tribulation because there was no need. Even if the Honghuang produced an emperor, he wouldn't fear it.

"Senior, what kind of heavenly tribulation is it when the Holy Body reaches Great Accomplishment?"

"All the Great Accomplishment Holy Bodies from past generations."

Ye Chen asked humbly.

Di Huang smiled.

"Then, how many Great Accomplishment Holy Bodies are there in our Holy Body lineage?"

Ye Chen asked tentatively. From what he knew, the Great Accomplishment Holy Bodies were only Ba Yuan, Chen Zhan, and the Di Huang before him; he had heard little about the others.

"Not fewer than the One Hundred and Thirty Emperors."

Di Huang said leisurely.

Gulp!

Ye Chen suddenly swallowed hard. That meant there would be at least one hundred and thirty Great Accomplishment Holy Bodies—more than twice the number of the Zhun Di Emperor Dao law bodies—and they would all gang up on him. Even one slap from each could beat him into a fool.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at Di Huang. This fierce figure—how had he survived his Great Accomplishment Tribulation back then, facing one against one hundred and thirty? It must have been an incredibly brutal battle.

Not only did he want to know, but Zi Xuan did too. After all, when Di Huang had fought the five Heavenly Demon Emperors alone, he hadn't yet crossed his Great Accomplishment Tribulation. The female emperor had no chance to see it, so she didn't know either.

Such a world-shattering scene had only been witnessed by those in the underworld. The prowess of the past Great Accomplishment Holy Bodies must have shaken the eight directions. A battle of that level was no different from an emperor's assault.

This time, it was Ye Chen's state of mind that became unsettled.

Reflecting on it, the heavenly tribulations he had faced along his path were truly one more terrifying than the last. The defying journey of the Holy Body lineage was destined to be accompanied by life-and-death calamities. That merciless heaven seemed intent on erasing him completely; it must harbor such deep hatred for the Ancient Holy Body.

Zing!

As he pondered, a piercing sword cry suddenly rang out, interrupting his thoughts.

Looking toward the source of the sword cry, he saw a beam of seven-colored immortal light tracing a graceful arc through the dark black hole, with dazzling seven-colored immortal radiance.

"Zhuxian Sword."

Ye Chen's eyes turned cold, and killing intent surged instantly.

As soon as he spoke, everything blurred before his eyes—he was pulled into a bronze furnace by Di Huang.

Zi Xuan was drawn in as well.

Meanwhile, Di Huang had already chased after the Zhuxian Sword the moment it appeared. Encountering it was an accident, but since they had met, they needed to have a chat. Now that it was here, it wasn't going anywhere.